Man to serve one year for prescription drug trafficking

One of three men charged in a prescription drug trafficking scheme in East Lyme in April 2013 was sentenced today in New London Superior Court to a year in prison.

Sean P. Connolly, 21, of Groton, pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics with intent to sell and was sentenced by Judge Hillary B. Strackbein to four years in prison, suspended after one year served followed by three years of probation.

“If that’s the way you want to do business, then this is your life,” Strackbein told Connolly, who has been incarcerated while his case was pending and wore tan prison scrubs.

Town police had received a tip that the targets of an ongoing prescription drug investigation were making a run to New York City to buy drugs. They spotted suspect James R. Douglas’ Suburu coming off the northbound ramp of Exit 74 and pulled the car over a short distance away.

Officers found 713 oxycodone 30-mg pills, hidden in fake lint rollers and a Clorox bottle with a false bottom, along with a black UZI handheld stun gun that they said Douglas took with him on drug runs for protection. The pills had an estimated street value of more than $21,000.

Douglas, of East Lyme, and his two passengers, Connolly and Tyler Glendenning of East Lyme, were arrested on site. Douglas and Glendenning both have pending cases in Superior Court.

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